Valmiki Ramayana 2.48.6 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 6

अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम्

Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation

Devanagari script

गृहे गृहे रुदन्त्यश्च भर्तारं गृहमागतम्।व्यगर्हयन्त दुःखार्ता वाग्भिस्तोत्रैरिव द्विपान्।।2.48.6।।

Transliteration

gṛhe gṛhe rudantyaś ca bhartāraṃ gṛham āgatam |

vyagarhayanta duḥkhārtā vāgbhis totrair iva dvipān ||2.48.6||

Translation

Von Haus zu Haus weinten die Frauen; und wenn ihre Männer heimkehrten, machten sie ihnen im Schmerz Vorwürfe—Worte, die trafen wie ein Elefantenhaken.

Word by Word

• gṛhe: in a house
• gṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• gṛhe: in each house
• gṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); repetition for distributive sense

• rudantyaḥ: crying
• rudantyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rudantī (कृदन्त; √rud (धातु))
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• bhartāram: husband
• bhartāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• gṛham: home
• gṛham: Gati/Deśa (गति/देश; goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• āgatam: returned; come
• āgatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgata (कृदन्त; ā-√gam (धातु))
• Form: Past active participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying bhartāram

• vyagarhayanta: they reproached
• vyagarhayanta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ā-√garh (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• duḥkhārtāḥ: afflicted with sorrow
• duḥkhārtāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha-ārta (प्रातिपदिक; duḥkha + ārta)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying rudantyaḥ (women)

• vāgbhiḥ: with words
• vāgbhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• totraiḥ: with goads
• totraiḥ: Upamāna-instrument (उपमान-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: totra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Simile particle (उपमावाचक)

• dvipān: elephants
• dvipān: Upameya (उपमेय; in simile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

Context

In every house, women wept and in anguish heaped abuses on their husbands on their arrival at home with words (sharp) like goads on elephants:

Characters & Entities

• women (implicit)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

It shows how adharma at the top destabilizes harmony at home: when justice fails, even family relationships become charged with blame and harsh speech.

What is the narrative situation?

Ayodhyā’s women, overwhelmed by sorrow, lash out verbally at their husbands returning from outside, as if the men were complicit in Rāma’s banishment.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s belovedness and perceived innocence are emphasized: the people’s anger is fueled by the sense that a virtuous man has been made to suffer.